The present embodiments relate to a signal splitter for creating at least two symmetrical signals from one input signal.
Signal splitters (e.g., splitters or power dividers) are basically known. They serve to split an input signal into at least two output signals. For example, at least two output signals of the same power may be created. These types of signal splitters may also be used (e.g., for creating signals of equal power) in magnetic resonance technology. Magnetic resonance devices have now become widely used and well-known (e.g., in clinical applications). In such cases, nuclear resonance aligned via a transmit antenna of an object under examination is excited in the magnetic resonance device, and the image data is recorded by a receive coil. To operate the transmit antenna, high power (e.g., in the kilowatt range) is used. The high power is provided by a power amplification device that may be installed in a transmit unit of the magnetic resonance device.
For this purpose, these types of power amplification devices may include different amplification modules (final stages). For example, four amplification modules that may each generate an output power of 5-8 kW may be included, so that in combination, a power of, for example, 30 kW may be obtained.
In order to split the input signal (e.g., already lying in the range of the magnetic frequency) to be amplified by the power amplifier device for the different amplifier modules, a Wilkinson splitter may be used. Downstream of the Wilkinson splitter a balun is connected in each case for creating a symmetrical input signal for the amplifier modules. A number of Wilkinson splitters may also be used if more than two amplifier modules are to be controlled. Such signal splitting and symmetrization is realized in such cases either by coaxial leads or by discrete elements. Both solutions have disadvantages because the first solution uses a large space, and the second solution uses coils of very high quality (e.g., with a tolerance <2%). The high quality coils are very expensive and may also create space problems when installed. The result of the problems is that, because of non-ideal implementations, the maximum output power may be reduced, since no exact phase-opposed input signals are present at the amplifier modules.